Posts Categorized: 2. Bars, Bread & Breakfast

French Toast, Fancier Shower Style, Easy!

Easy, Fancy French Toast for Showers, Special Occasions

I love a simple gluten-free frittata on the brunch menu, but most of my friends hope there’ll be something sweet as well. If I’m going to have sweet, it better be worth it! This fits the bill, with the cinnamon sugar topping adding a nice crunch.

Coconut Honey Butter- For Smoothies, Chia Pudding, Etc.

Nut Milk Concentrate- Greener than Cartons!

Have you ever wondered- why almond milk in a box? It’s convenient. But, it’s not very green. Companies are basically shipping a box of mostly water… not a great carbon footprint.
Plus, once nuts are ground, they’re not as stable. (And rancid oils are death!) Why not just make this recipe?! Throw a few nuts into the coconut/butter mix if desired, and process with your own free water!

Sourdough Bread, Artisan Style

Artisan Bread w/Sourdough Starter

Man does not live on bread alone, but we tried. (This bread was that good.) There was a learning curve to getting this artisan bread thing right, but… so worth it.

Sourdough Starter Maintenance & Use & Other Details

Stiff Starter: 1/4 c. starter, 1/3 c. water, 1/2 c. wheat/rye flour blend

So… yeast and flour, mixed together, makes a pretty “one-dimensional” flavored bread. But. A well-tended starter, added to some dough, left to bulk-ferment and then have a final rise in the fridge, takes simple flour and water and creates a sum far greater than the parts! Which is why I bother babying my starter. OK, and obsessing about it just a tad… I have a deep respect for this little starter- it does amazing things.

Dilly Casserole Bread, Healthy-Style

Dilly Casserole Bread, Updated Healthy Version

You can tell by the name that the original recipe came from the 60’s, right? One friend even asked, “what does “casserole bread” mean? Maybe that’s since most people don’t even make bread anymore? (Or casseroles, for that matter?!) Well, I had to optimize this recipe for my whole wheat sourdough starter, and… it worked. I didn’t use yeast, but I kept the baking soda, adding it to the second rising, which seemed to give the bread an extra “lift”.

Apple Dutch Baby: Special Occasion Breakfast Recipe!

Popover Batter, Caramelized Apples & Cinnamon

Years ago, before the internet, my sister was on a mission to duplicate the famous “Apple Pancake” of the Original Pancake House fame. We must’ve tried dozens of variations on this recipe (more recent scouring of the web gave me an edge). At last, I think we’ve finally got it!

Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread

Sourdough Bread w/whole grains

If I’m going to make homemade sourdough bread using freshly ground whole wheat flour, I definitely need a system. Otherwise, I won’t have time for this! Below is the streamlined recipe I’ve been using…

Artichoke Frittata, Gluten-Free

Gluten-Free Aritchoke Frittata

Many popular breakfast places add flour to their egg dishes, knowing it helps the eggs hold their shape- to stay light, fluffy… But potato starch works too. This is a great dish for party time- easy to make!

Banana Bread, Circa New Deli 1985

Whole Wheat Banana Bread of New Deli Fame

We made tons of this in the 80’s, when “The New Deli” was just a small wholesale sandwich business in our home kitchen (AKA “Foods for Thought”). Dern hippies, with a “grass-roots” food business!